Mothers' discrimination of their neonates' cry in relation to cry acoustics: The first week of life

This study investigated the temporal evolution in the discrimination of the newborn's crying by the mother, from the first to the eighth day after birth. The sample included twenty human mothers who had had an uneventful pregnancy, labour and delivery. They were asked to identify the spontaneous cries of their newborn babies from tape-recorded cries containing cries from their own newborn and from three other newborns. On the first day, the percentage of correct answers was 48#pc, then 81 #pc on the eighth day. Two acoustic features that may underlie this discrimination were analyzed: the maximum Fo values and the average number of cry bursts per second. On the seventh day, these two acoustic variables and the discrimination abilities significantly correlate.     

Assessment of Oxidative, Inflammatory, and Fibrinolytic Biomarkers and DNA Strand Breakage in Hypercholesterolemia

The aim of this study was to assess the levels of oxidative, inflammatory, and fibrinolytic biomarkers as well as DNA strand breakage in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Fasting glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, total protein, albumin, apolipoprotein (Apo) A, Apo B, advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), increased ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), ―SH, NOx, IL-6, and D-dimer levels were assessed, and DNA strand breakage was evaluated using comet assay in 38 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 20 healthy controls. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, Apo A, Apo B, AOPP, IMA, IL-6, and D-dimer concentrations were significantly higher in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. However, NOx and plasma ―SH group concentrations were lower in hypercholesterolemic subjects, while no significant differences were observed with respect to DNA strand breakage between the two groups. Hypercholesterolemia is related to oxidative stress and inflammation. Accordingly, AOPP concentration was higher in subjects with hypercholesterolemia, and we speculate that AOPP can reflect the enhancement of protein oxidation and inflammation.     

Expression of protectin (CD59) in human melanoma and its functional role in cell- and complement-mediated cytotoxicity

Immunohistochemical and/or indirect immunofluorescence analysis with monoclonal antibody (MAb) H19 demonstrated the expression of protectin (CD59) in 54 surgically removed metastatic melanoma lesions and on 8 out of 12 melanoma cell lines. CD59 expression had a low degree of intra- and intertumor heterogeneity. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the molecular weight of CD59 expressed on melanoma cells is about 20 kDa. Treatment of melanoma cells with 5 U/ml of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C completely abolished cell-surface expression of CD59. Interferon-γ and/or tumor necrosis factor-α or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate neither modulated the expression of CD59 by melanoma cells nor influenced the amounts of CD59-specific mRNA. F(ab')₂ fragments of anti-CD59 MAb YTH53.1 did not inhibit the lysis of melanoma cells by allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. In contrast, the whole lg molecule of MAb H19 or YTH53. I significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced NK-cell-mediated lysis of melanoma cells, suggesting the induction of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Lastly, masking of CD59 by MAb YTH53. I or its F(ab')₂ fragments significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced, in a dose-dependent fashion, the lysis of anti-GD3-sensitized melanoma cells by homologous complement. These data demonstrate that CD59 expressed by human melanoma cells might regulate host-tumor interaction by protecting neoplastic cells from complement-mediated lysis. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Immunoglobulin G-positive in B-cell cross-match decreases kidney allograft survival

We retrospectively studied all 1149 transplants performed at our center between 1993 and 2003 to determine the incidence and clinical effect of pretransplant B-positive cross-match on kidney graft survival. The patients were divided in two groups: B-negative (n = 1102) and B-positive in current sera (n = 47; 4.1%). AB-positive test was more frequent among regrafted patients (14% vs 3%; P = .00). Demographic data were not different between the groups. The overall rate of graft loss was similar (26% vs 24%, respectively; P = .86). However, early nonsurgical graft losses were more frequent among B-positive patients (46% vs 20%, respectively; P = .04). IgM was the most frequent immunoglobulin in the B-positive group (76% IgM and 24% IgG). There was no significant difference between B-negative and B-positive groups in the 1-, 5-, and 10-year graft survival rates (87% vs 83%, 73% vs 78%, 64% vs 66%, respectively; P = .87). The graft survival was significantly reduced comparing an IgG anti-B cell to the B-negative group (P = .03) as well as IgG compared to IgM (P = .004). In conclusion, only B-positive cross-match due to IgG decreased graft survival. Even though it is an uncommon situation (0.9%), this study stressed the clinical value of the B-cell cross-match as a tool to identify patients with a higher immunological risk.     

Clinical relevance of low levels of preformed alloantibodies detected by flow cytometry in the first year post-kidney transplantation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of transplants performed with a false-negative cytotoxicity cross-match and to analyze the clinical relevance of alloantibodies (Ab) detected only by flow cytometry (flow). METHODS: We studied 66 patients undergoing kidney transplantation from a cadaveric donor. All patients had a simultaneous negative T+AHG+DTT and B+DTT. Pretransplant sera were retrospectively analyzed by flow cytometry according to an Emory University protocol: (1) T+ and B-: Ab anti-class I; (2) T- and B+: anti-class II; (3) T+B+: anti-class I + II. Chi-square, Fisher exact, Student t test, and Kaplan Meier analyses were employed with significance assigned at P < or = .05. RESULTS: The overall incidence of false-negative cytotoxicity was 33.3% (22/66), namely, 6.1% (n = 4) anti-class I; 9.1% (n = 6) anti-class II; and 18.2% (n = 12) anti-class I + II. Primary nonfunctioning grafts occurred in 6.8% (3/44) and 13.6% (3/22) negative and positive flow patients (two anti-class I + II and one class II; P = .39). The incidence of graft loss in the first year was respectively, 13.6% (6/44) and 18.2% (4/22; two anti-class II and two anti-class I + II; P = .72). Compared to flow-negative grafts, creatinine levels were significantly higher among flow-positive patients at 8 and 12 weeks. One-year graft survivals were 86.4% among negative versus 81.8% for the positive group (P = .67). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that 33% of kidney transplant recipients had low levels of alloantibodies detected only by flow. This single factor was associated with the worst graft function in the first trimester with a suggestion of a higher risk for non-functioning graft.     

A new approach to the attachment process and the child functioning

Following the introduction dealing with the scientific sources which influenced John Bowlby in his elaborating the theory of attachment, the present article relates some of the major advances Bowlby's theory gave rise to and facilitated in fundamental research, clinical practice and the drawing up of new concepts. The main part of the article is devoted to the concept of core-competency. Indeed, this concept permits to take into account in a combined manner individual development, processes of attachment, and behaviour adjustments, from birth throughout infancy. Core-competencies are organisational nuclei that allow every child to associate, combine, cluster and integrate various pieces of information of the surrounding world by making them compatible with his idiosyncrasies, be they innate or acquired as the days go by, be they biological or psychological. Five core-competencies have emerged from studies about mother-child interactions, from experimental research on the interactions between young children and from ethological observations of groups of children under controlled conditions: sustained visual attention, desire for interaction, affiliative behaviour, imitation and the structured organisation of gestures. The theory of attachment, the data of fundamental research, in particular those concerning core-competencies, and clinical observation lead to a new perspective for interpreting child constructions. The rooting of the child in a secure attachment, the non-thwarted genesis of his/her time organisation and of his/her bio-psychological rhythms, the possibilities given to him/her to appropriate space and its various dimensions, allow him/her to settle in affective security. Hence he/she can release his/her emotions and affects and make his/her core-competencies legible and functional. Conditions are then fulfilled for him/her to release his latent cognitive processes, master his/her cognitive acquisitions and structure his/her imagination.